Broome County Officials Push Smoke Detectors in Fire Prevention Week

The department falls under the Canadian Fire Marshals Association and the Office of the Fire Commissioner for B.C. Every year, they come up with a different theme and this year, it is “Hear the Beep where you Sleep”.

It’s never too early to educate our children about safety, and there are several things you can do in your own home to help your child gain an understanding of appropriate actions regarding fire safety. A working smoke alarm may give people time to escape, but when fires happen, especially at night, he said people need to know exactly what to do when they are startled from their beds by an alarm. Three of every five US home fire deaths resulted from fires in dwellings with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

More than 63,000 families are safer thanks to the smoke alarms and safety education they received in their homes from Red Cross volunteers, firefighters and other community partners.

In talking about how to plan exit drills, the video suggested drawing a floor plan showing the location of smoke detectors in their home, two ways out of each room and the family’s outside meeting place. “I don’t care if your neighbor looks at you like you’re insane”.

Smoke alarms can save lives. The Madison Fire Rescue firefighters, pictured left to right, are: Chris Johnson, Socrates Pierre, Fire Chief Bruce Jordan, Ethan Shannon and Gavin Dickinson.

Since 1925 the US and Canada have recognized annual Fire Prevention Week in October. If the smoke alarms work, the customer’s order is free. “You have to put it in their language but sometimes you have to be stern enough for them to realize we are being serious about fire prevention”. Fire departments, fire officials, and emergency personnel are encouraging everyone to take a moment and make sure that steps are taken towards fire prevention. It’s also important because starting at age 8, kids can be arrested if they get into trouble with fire.

Hopkins also said trimming limbs can prevent damage to homes and infrastructure if a tree falls during a winter storm. During the course of this campaign, the lives saved included a two-month-old baby, a 73-year-old grandmother, and 11 members of an extended New Orleans family by new smoke alarms that the Red Cross and our partners installed.

Change smoke alarm batteries twice a year.